1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to insulating sleeves and more particularly pertains to an insulating sleeve designed for use in conjunction with sewer vent pipes in cold climates.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An ongoing problem in cold weather climates is frost accumulation in sewer vent pipes. This problem has magnified in recent years as a result of homeowners installing indoor plumbing and utilizing large quantities of hot water to perform daily chores. Inasmuch as hot water usage is on the increase due to the use of more automatic washing machines, dishwashers, etc., the problem most certainly will continue to get worse. Specifically, the extra hot water usage generates a lot of steam which is normally exhausted through a sewer vent pipe, and where the weather is extremely cold, an increased amount of steam escaping through a vent pipe results in more rapid frost buildup.
In the worse case, frost buildup will completely seal a vent pipe, thus preventing air from moving into or out of the pipe, and as a result, when a toilet is flushed, the fast discharge of water with no air behind it causes the sewer traps in bathtubs and sinks to be sucked dry. As such, sewer gas may move from the sewer system into a dwelling, thus endangering its occupants. In this respect, there have been a number of instances where sewer gas accumulation within a residence has resulted in the death of the occupants thereof. By the same token, many injuries have resulted where people have fallen from roofs while trying to thaw out their sewer vent pipes.
Inasmuch as the problem has been recognized, there have been a number of attempts to deal with it although not very successfully. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,930, issued to Murphy on May 25, 1971, discloses a snow deflector unit which is effectively a triangularly-shaped metal structure having sidewall vents and being designed for attachment to a roof over a vent pipe in a manner whereby snow cannot accumulate within the vent pipe. However, the Murphy device is difficult to mount to a roof and doesn't really effectively insulate a sewer vent pipe from frost buildup.
At least one attempt has been made to construct a protector for sewer ventilation pipes which is directly mountable to a roof in a concentric relationship with the vent pipe to be insulated. In this regard, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 346,714, issued to Boyd on Aug. 3, 1886, wherein there is disclosed a protective sleeve for mounting over the end of a sewer ventilation pipe and being attachable to a roof, such sleeve consisting of a pair of concentrically mounted cylinders which are cast as one piece. Specifically, one of the cylinders is of a much greater diameter than the other, whereby a dead-air space is contained between the cylinders, with the innermost cylinder then being positionable over the aforementioned sewer ventilation pipe. As such, the protector of Boyd allegedly prevents frost accumulation through the use of the dead-air space positioned between the concentric cylinders. However, dead air is a poor insulator and it is highly unlikely that frost accumulation would be prevented in cold climates through a use of the Boyd device.
Accordingly, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for preventing frost buildup in sewer vent pipes in cold climates and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfils this need.